Occupational Therapy Department


Discover the Carlow OT Difference!

The Carlow Difference is student focused, interprofessional, and service driven. We host small class sizes, in face to face, hands-on learning. The OT curriculum design, aligned with Catholic intellectual tradition and Mercy values, has an overarching mission of occupational justice, a foundation in health and wellbeing, and threads that support the structure and the path to transformational learning. 

The bridge image conveys a journey of overcoming barriers to promote full participation and represents a path where one moves from old self to new self, writing the next chapter in the story of life. It is critical that students bridge classroom concepts to clinical practice and Mercy values to their civic engagement as socially responsible citizens. Our program is alive with transformative learning experiences in the “City of Bridges” as we explore the world around us and seek to be innovative pathfinders for occupational justice, access, and opportunity for all people, communities, and populations.

graduate programs
doctorate program

Faculty and Staff

Our faculty are devoted to the health and wellbeing of each student. We are intentional about ensuring the development of healthy occupations during graduate school, in order to create a healthy and sustainable career in healthcare. Our faculty are student-focused and develop instructional design practices that celebrate the diversity of learning styles, supporting the gifts and talents of each student. As faculty we recognize that our students are the future of the OT profession, and our connection is just beginning. We are all part of the Carlow family from the classroom to your first job and beyond!

Accredited Master’s-degree-level Occupational Therapy Program

The Carlow University entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

To be eligible to take the NBCOT certification exam, OTR candidates must graduate with an entry-level occupational therapy degree from an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy (OT) program. Per USDE regulations, all credits and degrees earned and issued by a program holding Candidate for Accreditation status are considered to be from an accredited program. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. The Carlow University OT Program meets the educational requirements for certification in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

ACOTE lists programs by accreditation status — feel free to take a look: https://acoteonline.org/schools/

Program Outcomes

Program outcomes with regard to graduation rates and NBCOT certification exam results are updated and posted yearly. As a new program, we will be posting information when available. See the results on NBCOT for School Performance Home page.


Doctoral-degree-level Occupational Therapy Program (Program with Preaccreditation Status)

The Carlow University entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATION ACCREDITATION MANUAL VI.E. Revised June 2020 Section VI – Page 19 successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

ACOTE lists programs by accreditation status — feel free to take a look: https://acoteonline.org/schools/

Program Outcomes

Program outcomes with regard to graduation rates and NBCOT certification exam results are updated and posted yearly. As a new program, we will be posting information when available. See the results on NBCOT for School Performance Home page.


Department Points of Pride

  • Elizabeth Sherman:
    • Accepted to the National Intergroup Dialogue Institute – June 2024 at University of Michigan
    • Carlow Cares: Sligo, Ireland faculty advisor
    • Planning Committee Member for the Inaugural Greater Pittsburgh Food Systems Summit organized by the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council – Food Systems Summit — Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
  • Erin Phillips:
    • Outstanding Alumni Award for 2024; Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy
  • Blythe Westendorf:
    • Completed the AOTA Board Certification in Pediatrics
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